1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a display-transmissible push switch structure and, more particularly, to a display-transmissible push switch structure to operate equipment such as an audio system and an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, wherein a key switch body of synthetic resin is integrally provided with an elastic sealing member of such a rubber on the circumference thereof to improve a dust and water proofing property.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 20 shows an arrangement of push-type key switch bodies 127-129 and a display 130 on a center cluster 126 of a dashboard 125 of a motor vehicle.
The key switch bodies 127-129 are arranged around the display 130. With the key switch bodies 127-129, equipment such as an air conditioner and an audio system operates, is adjusted, or is selected, and for example, shift of volume and sound quality of the audio system, shift of air quantity and blowing-out position of the air conditioner, selection of a radio station, and the like are carried out. The key switch bodes 127-129 and the display 130 are assembled onto the center cluster 126 as a switch structure body (i.e., switch module).
FIG. 21 is a front view showing a conventional push switch structure. The key switch bodies 127-129 are classified into two types. The one is the key switch body 127 on which characters showing mode, function, or the like are directly printed. The other type is of transmissible key switch bodies 128, 129 capable of transmitting indication of the display 130, which key switch bodies are arranged in parallel to a display surface of the display 130.
A whole area 130a of the display 130 is larger than the display window 135 of a front cover 134 made of synthetic resin, and the transmissible key switch bodies 128, 129 are arranged on a side end and a bottom end of the display (i.e., displaying area) 130, respectively. The key switch body 128 at the side end indicates such a channel or frequency of the radio station, and the key switch body 129 at the bottom end indicates such an air quantity or a blowing-out direction of the air conditioner.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing the push switch structure of FIG. 21.
In FIG. 22, 134 is the front cover made of synthetic resin, 127-129 are the key switch bodies, 130 is the display, 136 is a control substrate, and 137 indicates a metal casing.
The key switch bodies 127-129, a through hole 139 for an adjusting knob 138, a display window 140 for the display 130, an inserting portion 141 for a cassette tape recorder or CD (i.e., compact disc memory) are provided in the front cover 134. The transmissible key switch bodies 128, 129 are arranged on the front side of the display 130, and the letterxe2x80x94letter-printed key switch body 127 is arranged outside the display 130.
The display 130 is assembled onto the control substrate 136, on which a push-button switch (a microswitch) 141 a for the letterxe2x80x94letter-printed key switch body 127 is provided. The transmissible key switch body 128 is fixed to the front cover 134 in a state of being assembled onto a small electrode substrate 142. An indicating means such as LCD (i.e., liquid crystal display) and ELD (i.e., electroluminescent display) is used for the display 130.
Equipment 143 (not specifically illustrated) such as CD (i.e., compact disc memory) and a cassette tape recorder is arranged in the casing 137, and an assembly 144 of the display 130 and the control substrate 135, the key switch bodies 127-129, and the front cover 134 are fixed to the front side of the casing 137. The casing is fixed to the vehicle body (i.e., the backside of the center cluster 126 of FIG. 23) by a bracket 145.
FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a main portion, i.e., an assemblage structure of the transmissible key switch body 128, of the push switch structure of FIG. 21. The key switch bodies 129 are connected to a thin plate-like fixing plate 147 through an elastic portion 146. The key switch bodies 128 are assembled onto an electrode substrate 142. Openings 148 for the key switch bodies 128 are provided on the electrode substrate 142.
A fixing plate 147 is positioned by a projecting portion 149 of the electrode substrate 142. The key switch bodies 128 are supported in a cantilevered state. The other end of the key switch body 128 is put into contact with a push-button switch 150 on the electrode substrate. By pushing the key switch body 128, the push-button switch 150 is pushed, and a contact point of the electrode substrate 142 is connected. A spring (not illustrated) for restoration is built in the push-button switch 150, and a clicking-feel at switch-operation is exhibited by means of spring-force.
The electrode substrate 142 is connected to the control substrate 130 (FIG. 18) on a side of the display with connectors 151, 152. The center side of the key switch body 128 is formed out of a transparent resin member and the circumference is surrounded with a opaque resin member, whereby light leak and transmission of indication from the neighboring key switch body 128 are prevented.
Since indication of the display 130 transmits the key switch body 128, various kinds of indications are obtained with one switch, whereby reduction of switch is attained. And, by using the thin elastic portion 146 as a hinge of the key switch body 128, thin-modeling of the switch is attained.
With respect to the above conventional structure, however, dust or water invades the inside of the key switch body, which could cause poor contact of switch and a fog of an inner surface of the key switch body, and indication of the transmissible key switch body would get unvisible in a dusty, humid, rainy, or badly temperature-changing atmosphere, or a fitting work of switch, for example. Also, there would be a limitation in thinning the structure of switch.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a push switch structure, wherein water-and-dust proofing property of a push switch is improved and therefore deterioration of visibility of a transmissible switch displaying portion is dissolved and wherein the push switch is thinner and downsized, can securely be water-and-dustproofing, can be smoothly securely operated, and further is of low cost.
To achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a push switch structure for a display includes: a key switch body capable of transmitting indication of the display; and an elastic sealing member adhering to a circumference of the key switch body so as to seal the key switch body.
As a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the push switch structure further includes: an electrode substrate, wherein the key switch body has a transmissible portion and a non-transmissible portion and an elastic contact to electrically come into contact with the electrode substrate is provided in the non-transmissible portion.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above second aspect, the metal contact is provided in one non-transmissible portion of the key switch body and a hinge is provided in the other non-transmissible portion of the key switch body.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above second aspect, the non-transmissible portion is formed with the elastic sealing member and the elastic sealing member is supported by the metal contact.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, a push switch structure for a display includes: a key switch body capable of transmitting indication of the display and having a collar portion; an elastic sealing member having an opening portion to receive the key switch body; and a cover to push the collar portion of the key switch body toward the elastic sealing member so that the collar portion coheres to the elastic sealing member.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the elastic sealing member also has a collar portion and the collar portion of the key switch body coheres to the collar portion of the elastic sealing member.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the key switch body coheres to an inner surface of the opening portion.
As an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the key switch body has a displaying portion and an engaging portion formed narrower than the displaying portion, the engaging portion being inserted into the opening portion of the elastic sealing member.
As a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the push switch structure further includes: a base member to be arranged between the elastic sealing member and the display, wherein a peripheral portion of the elastic sealing member is tightly put between the cover and the base member.
As a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the push switch structure further includes: a push-button switch, wherein an accommodating recess for accommodating the push-button switch is provided on the key switch body.
As an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above tenth aspect, the key switch body has a displaying portion and an engaging portion, the engaging portion being inserted into the opening portion of the elastic sealing member and being formed to cover a circumference of the displaying portion and the accommodating recess.
As a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above eleventh aspect, the collar portion, the engaging portion, and the accommodating recess are made of a non-transmissible material.
As a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first or fifth aspect, a transparent electrode substrate is arranged on a surface of the display and a transparent electrode to be electrically connected with the transparent electrode substrate is provided on the key switch body.
As a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above thirteenth aspect, the base portion of the elastic sealing member coheres to the transparent electrode substrate.
As a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first or fifth aspect, the push switch structure further includes: a display case to mount an assembled unit of the elastic sealing member and the key switch body; and a control substrate to mount the display, wherein the display case is mounted onto an assembly of the control substrate and the display.
As a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifteenth aspect, the display case has an accommodating portion for accommodating the assembled unit, and the base portion of the elastic sealing member coheres to a front of the accommodating portion and the display coheres to a back of the accommodating portion.
As a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifteenth or sixteenth aspect, a desiccant is provided inside the display case.
As an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with any one of the above first to fourth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth aspects, a sector portion is provided on the elastic sealing member between the key switch bodies and a resilient portion is formed by bending the sector portion.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided, respectively.
(1) Because the inside of the key switch body is dust-and-waterproofed securely by the elastic sealing member, poor contact and a fog of the inner surface of the key switch body caused by inroad of water, dust, or the like are prevented, thereby improving visibility of indication of the switch. And, adhering work of the elastic sealing member and the key switch body can be carried out by means of integral molding or adhesion effectively.
(2) The metal contact and the electrode substrate are dust-and-waterproofed securely by the elastic sealing member. And, the clicking-feel at switch-operation is enhanced by means of the elastic metal contact. Also, because the metal contact is arranged inside the non-transmissible portion of the key switch body, visibility of indication is secured and simultaneously space is utilized effectively, thereby downsizing the structure.
(3) Space is utilized effectively, and simultaneously the clicking-feel at switch-operation is obtained securely, because the key switch body is cantilevered.
(4) Because shape of the elastic sealing member is maintained by the metal contact and because the elastic sealing member serves as one part of the key switch body, two-color molding of the key switch body out of synthetic resin materials becomes unnecessary, thereby reducing costs.
(5) Because the elastic sealing member coheres to the collar portion of the key switch body by the reaction force strongly, secure sealing is exhibited. And, because the inside of the key switch body is dust-and-waterproofed securely by the elastic sealing member, poor contact and a fog of the inner surface of the key switch body caused by inroad of water, dust, or the like are prevented, thereby improving visibility of indication of the switch. Further, because the key switch body and the elastic sealing member need not adhere, major device is not required, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. And also this structure can be applied to the elastic sealing member and the key switch body each, for example, having a complicated shape with difficult in adhesion.
(6) Because the collar portions of the respective key switch body and elastic sealing member are put into surface-contact with each other, sealing characteristic enhances due to a large adhering area and secure sealing is attained even if the key switch body is pushed obliquely.
(7) Because the key switch body coheres to the inner surface of the opening portion of the elastic sealing member, reaction force of the elastic sealing member acts on the key switch body side stable, thereby further improving the sealing characteristic.
(8) Because a dead space portion is utilized as an adhering portion of the elastic sealing member, downsizing of the structure is attained.
(9) The base portion side of the elastic sealing member is sealed simply securely with the base member and the cover.
(10) Because the push-button switch is accommodated inside the accommodating recess of the key switch body, the push-button switch can be dust-and-waterproofed and thin-modeling of the structure is attained.
(11) The opening portion of the elastic sealing member engages the engaging portion at the outside of the accommodating recess and also the push-button switch is positioned inside the elastic sealing member, the push-button switch can be securely dust-and-waterproofed.
(12) Because transmission of indication for an adjacent switch and light leak of the display from the opening portion are prevented by a non-transmissible member, visibility is improved.
(13) The switch structure is thinned by means of the transparent electrode substrate and of the thin transparent electrode. And, because an existing push-button switch is not required, the structure is simplified and gets thinner. Because indication of the display is transmitted until the transmissible key switch body through the transparent electrode substrate and the transparent electrode without passing a thick air layer, visibility is improved.
(14) Because the inside of the key switch body is sealed up, dust-and-waterproofing for the transparent electrode and the transparent electrode substrate is securely carried out.
(15) Because the front side of the display and the inner surface side of the key switch body is sealed up with the display case and also because the display is sealed up between the control substrates and the display case, inroad of dust, water, or the like is prevented, thereby deterioration of visibility is dissolved.
(16) Because the display surface and the inner surface of the key switch body is securely sealed up in the accommodating portion of the display case, the effect in the invention as set forth in the above claim 15 is promoted.
(17) Because moisture in the casing is absorbed by a desiccant, a fog of the inner surface of the key switch body is prevented securely and clear indication is secured.
(18) Because the curved resilient portion absorbs a stroke of the cantilevered key switch body, smooth switch-operation is attained and also durability of the elastic sealing member is improved, thereby dust-and-waterproofing can be guaranteed in a long term.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.